Growing up in France as a mixed race person, the child of a Tunisian father and a French mother from Martinique, has shaped my understanding of identity in profound ways. It was a unique experience; it sometimes felt like I was living a double life.
There’s a rich cultural heritage and diversity within France, yet there is also a long-standing history of racial tensions and identity struggles, especially for Black and North African communities. For me, this journey has been both empowering and fraught with a persistent feeling of being caught between two cultures: French, yet somehow not entirely seen as French, and African, yet distant from the continent itself.
I recently produced a film on this for BBC Africa called The Homecoming. What began as an exploration into why some French Africans are moving to Africa – in this case, Senegal – evolved into a reflection on my own struggles with identity and belonging. The film reveals the diverse perspectives and motivations behind each person’s decision to leave France, whether driven by a desire to reconnect with roots, build businesses, or escape a society where discrimination remains a harsh reality.